Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, William Dalrymple, Murong Xuecun and Ece Temelkuran are among the internationally acclaimed writers who will be joined by Bollywood superstars Soha Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, Nandita Das for the British Council Series at the Hay festival this year.

This stellar line-up will take part in a series of discussions on 3 and 4 June.

The British Council series will complement our 2012 programme that reaches across Spain, Colombia, Kenya, India, Mexico, Lebanon, Turkey, Argentina and Bangladesh.

The author and the celebrated North Indian singer celebrate the bygone era of India's last Mughals, bringing to life a world of emperors, poets, courtesans, politics, bayonets, intrigue and love through word and music.

Sunday 3 June 10.00am - Ian McEwan talks to Timothy Garton Ash

The author discusses his writing and previews his forthcoming MI5 novel Sweet Tooth.

Sunday 3 June, 2.30pm BST- Salman Rushdie talks to Peter Florence This event will be streamed live internationally with the British Council. Join the conversation #hay25 and #rushdie with @bcliterature. Click back here to watch

The novelist discusses his fictions from Midnight’s Children to The Enchantress of Florence.

As part of a global series of events celebrating UK-India relations an unprecedentedly superstarry Bollywood cast gather to discuss perceptions and cultural visions of C21st India with the writer and the BBC World anchor.

Monday 4 June – 11.30am Murong Xuecun: Caging a Monster

The outspoken Chinese cult novelist builds on his now famous ‘In my country’ Oslo speech, talking about the harder realities behind the economic miracle. Chaired by Rosie Boycott. (Subtitles with consecutive translation for Q&A)

Monday 4 June, 2.30pm - Fictions – Detours

Gerbrand Bakker and Ece Temelkuran talk to Rosie Goldsmith

The Detour from the IMPAC Prize-winning Dutch author of The Twin is a masterpiece set in rural Wales. He is joined by the star of Turkish literature, author of Deep Mountain and the Beirut novel Sounds of Bananas.